Showering. It’s simple and you’ve probably been doing it most of your life, so how could you be doing it so wrong?
We have created an article dedicated to helping you take the perfect shower.
Get ready to change your shower routine forever…
- Set the scene for the perfect shower
- Find the perfect showering temperature
- Give your body and hair a quick rinse
- Shampoo your hair, twice
- It’s time to condition
- Scrub your body from head to toe when showering.
- Turn water temperature to lukewarm to close hair follicles.
- Jump out the shower and grab your toasty warm towel
- Wash face in the sink with warm & cold water
- Towel dry hair & brush through
- Moisturise your body
1 – Set The Scene
The first step to taking the perfect shower is setting the scene. Creating the most relaxing environment means engaging and calming our bodies and minds through the three senses; sight, smell and sound.
So, pull the blinds down for ultimate privacy and ambience. Make sure you have plenty of candles softly glimmering. We would recommend a lavender scented aroma to carry a deeply relaxing scent around the room.
Great for more than their aesthetic, candles have actually been scientifically proven to help reduce stress and with relaxation.
‘Scented candles have been used for centuries in all manner of rituals as they promote healing, enhance meditation and cleanse energies. The gentle, mesmerising quality of their light makes them a perfect aid for any relaxation routine.’
Counselling directory
2- Find The Perfect Showering Temperature
Now that you’ve finally got into the shower, it’s time to find the perfect temperature.
If you have an increasingly irritating old shower that makes it nearly impossible to find the correct temperature or, an increasingly irritating partner that always changes the shower setting, then it’s time to upgrade – shower, not partner of course!
We have a beautiful collection of thermostatic digital showers, with some pretty cool features.
There are programmable shower functions for a customised showering experience and a colour-changing indicator so you know when the water reaches the desired temperature.
If you’re like me, you’ll like a hot shower. There’s nothing quite like a lovely hot shower after a hard day.
3- Give your body and hair a quick rinse
It’s always important to give your body a quick rinse over to wash away any lingering dirt.
4 – Make sure to shampoo your hair, twice!
You may be reading and thinking, well duh! but a lot of people don’t actually realise that you’re supposed to shampoo your hair twice.
So for those who have never heard of the second wash rule keep reading.
Why should I shampoo my hair twice?
Whilst many people believe shampooing once is enough, shampooing twice with a rinse in between, will transform your hair.
The first wash will remove all the pollution, hairspray and dirt build up and the second will give your hair the goodness it needs to feel stronger and look shinier.
5 – It’s time to condition while showering
Once you have rinsed out all the shampoo suds, turn your attention to conditioning.
The key with conditioner is to focus on really massaging it into your ends.
The ends of your hair will have the most split ends and damage, so will need that extra TLC.
Remember to only use a small amount of conditioner, applying too much will make the hair feel greasy when dry.
Leave the conditioner in for around one minute, to soak into the hair, unless the bottle specifies a specific amount of time.
Again, to avoid any left over product, rinse your hair thoroughly.
6 – Scrub from head to toe
Now that washing your hair is out the way, get ready to give those arms a workout – it’s time to scrub. Often people forget to scrub every part of their body. Yes, I’m talking about legs & back – the most forgotten body parts to wash.
Bar soap is great for cleaning the body and doesn’t harbour as much bacteria as most other cleaning tools such as sponges or flannels.
If you use a loofah make sure it has always dried out before your next wash. A loofah can be a breeding ground for bacteria if not looked after properly. So try not to share it with other family members and replace it every month or so.
Hands or loofahs are perfectly acceptable scrubbing tools. Massage the body wash in every nook and cranny, paying close attention to areas you sweat most. Exfoliating/ scrubbing removes oils and dead skin cells.
Try not to over exfoliate your body. If you’re exfoliating more than two times a week, you’re doing it too much.
Excessive exfoliation can irritate the skin, remove our skin’s natural oils and cause dry skin.
Remember to always exfoliate before shaving, this will help open hair follicles and lif hairs from the root easier. Giving you a much cleaner shave.
This also applies to those who shower every day. Even though, we would consider this as hygienic habit, it is actually bad for our skins to be washed every single day.
7 – Turn your water temperature to lukewarm to close hair follicles
It’s important to finish off your shower by turning down the temperature of the water.
If you’re like me, you’ll love a really warm shower which is great for relaxing. However, the high temperature will open your pores and hair follicles.
So, once they have been cleared out with body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, seal the follicles with colder water to stop any dirt clogging them up.
8 – Jump out of the shower & grab your toasty towel
Since you’ve been showering, your towel rail should have been busy making sure your towel is toasty warm.
Jump out and wrap your body in fluffy warmness. Use the smaller towel to wrap up your hair off your shoulders.
9 – Wash your face in the sink, not the shower
Did you really think we’d forget to tell you how to wash your face?!
Washing your face once you have got out the shower might seem strange but using really hot water and harsh soaps won’t do anything good for your skin.
Washing in the sink means you have full control over the temperature of the water and what is going into your face.
Grab your favourite skin care products and really work them into your skin.
As I mentioned earlier, warm water will open your pores and opened pores are a gateway for bacteria, so, use warm water to to start and end with cold water to re-seal the pores.
Top Tip – Avoid using soap and water on the face. Soap doesn’t have the right ingredients to really help your skin.
10 – Towel dry hair & brush through
Now, your body should be fresh and your face glowing.
It’s time to turn to the hair; use your towel to rinse out excess water and brush your hair through with a detangle brush.
A detangle brush should be your new best friend. It’s head sore friendly and will gently remove any knots.
11 – Moisturise your body
We’ve made it to the final step and one of the most important.
Apply moisturiser to your skin when it’s damp.
This will lock moisture into the skin, giving you baby soft skin. Moisturising after a shower will reduce dryness and itchy skin.
So, next time fancy pampering yourself with a long shower, why not try out this new shower routine? Your skin and hair will be healthier and happier.
Rikki has a passion for interior design and an even bigger passion for writing about it. When she isn’t writing about gorgeous bathroom interiors, you’ll find her discovering all of the latest trends.
